What Does it Mean to be Green in Australia? Status, Identity, and Pro-environmental Engagement

Abstract

The gap between environmental attitudes and behaviour prompts consideration of social structural barriers to pro-environmental action. A mixed methods exploratory sequential design was used to understand the relationship between environmental identity and social status of pro-environmental behaviours. Environmental public-identity was found to be a part of a higher order construct of environmental identity, which predicted engagement in pro-environmental behaviour. High status pro-environmental behaviours were costly, effortful, and visible, replicating the status quo.